Sunrise and Twilight
by Midorino Mizu
Summary: After the end of Book 5, Remus Lupin is left alone with his thoughts and memories. Major Spoilers for the Order of the Phoenix.


Sunrise and Twilight  
  
A Harry Potter Fanfiction by Midorino Mizu  
  
Dislclaimer: Harry Potter and all characters therein belong to J.K. Rowling.  
  
"Where will you go?" asked Moody.  
  
Remus flicked a glance at the older auror, and his lips curved slightly, while his eyes remained desolate.  
  
"Sirius left me his family home," he answered. "I will live there, I suppose."  
  
Moody snorted. "I'm sure his mother will adore that."  
  
Remus' eyes went steely cold. "I'm sure," he murmured. He stared in the direction Harry had gone, trailing behind his Muggle family. "We should go. There's nothing more we can do here."  
  
"You're right," admitted Moody. "I have to say that it was great fun to scare the hell out of Dursley, though. I almost hope he gives me a reason to carry out some threats."  
  
"He won't."  
  
"No, you're right, Lupin. Too much of a coward." Moody sighed in disappointment. "Goodbye then. Take care of yourself."  
  
"Goodbye," replied Lupin, as he watched Moody apparate.  
  
He could do that too, he supposed. But somehow, today, he felt like walking.  
  
***  
  
It was a brilliantly sunny day, and on another day, the bright colors of Muggle London would have made him smile, if only a little.  
  
It wouldn't today. Right now, he didn't feel like smiling ever again.  
  
Slowly, Muggle London turned into Wizard London, though Remus didn't notice. He was too lost in his memories.  
  
Remus Lupin knew Sirius Black, of course; they were first-years in  
Gryffindor, and had all of their classes together. They didn't  
associate much, however. Sirius and his best friend James were  
Quidditch-mad, and both brilliant at it. Remus could fly his broom  
well enough, but he had no particular desire to tear up the skies.  
  
Remus didn't really meet Sirius until Christmas of that first year.  
  
They were both staying at Hogwarts for the holidays; Remus' parents  
loved him, but they were also terrified of him. He felt that six  
years of living with a werewolf son was enough suffering for the both  
of them, so he had decided to stay at school for the two-week break.  
  
He didn't know why Sirius Black was staying.  
  
Sirius was the oldest son of a pureblood wizarding clan based in  
London. He'd heard it whispered early on in the semester that they  
had strong connections to the Malfoys.  
  
He'd also heard that the Blacks had been scandalized when their son  
had been sorted into Gryffindor, rather than the traditional  
Slytherin.  
  
But even if that had caused difficulties, reflected Remus, Sirius  
could have spent the break with his friend James, at the Potter house  
in Gloucestershire.  
  
But he hadn't, which Remus found to be a bit curious. But he was  
hardly one to judge another's curiosities.  
  
The two boys managed to avoid each other for all of three days. They  
lived in the same dormitory, but in separate suites, so they probably  
could have managed to avoid each other for the entirety of the  
vacation, if they had so desired.  
  
Sirius Black was an innately social creature, however, and so on the  
third day he stormed into the common room and challenged the slighter  
boy to a game of chess.  
  
It had been a long match, lasting well past the dinner hour. Both  
boys had sharp, strategic minds, and neither lost easily.  
  
Eventually, Remus defeated Sirius.  
  
Sirius had grinned at him then, and promptly drug him off to the  
kitchens to eat whatever the house elves had available.  
  
It had been the beginning of a friendship that would eventually become  
stronger and more serious than the one Sirius shared with James, his  
friend from infancy.  
  
James never begrudged them that closeness; he had never even asked how  
they had become so close in only two weeks.  
  
In fact it was James who had given them their second nicknames, in an  
oddly poetic moment when they were sixteen.  
  
Remus, he'd stated, was the Twilight, with the quiet glow of the moon  
and stars.  
Sirius was bold and brash and brilliant. He was the sunrise.  
  
He'd never considered, thought Remus as he paused under a street light, that the sun would fade first.  
  
***  
  
It was late when Remus finally returned to 12 Grimmauld Place, and it was deadly quiet. Not even Mrs. Black spoke from her portrait, but merely stared sullenly at Remus as he passed.  
  
Remus didn't stop until he had reached the bedroom he had shared with Sirius. He had been there since...well, he hadn't been there since.  
  
The room they had only shared for a few months was an eclectic mix of Remus and Sirius.  
  
Remus' texts were stacked neatly on the bookshelves and at the desk. His quills and inks were put in their proper places, and all of his robes had been folded neatly away in the closet.  
  
Sirius had been the opposite. Books on Defense against the Dark Arts and advanced Transfiguration were stacked on the night table, and open on the floor. A quill was stuck in the spine of one that was tossed carelessly across the bed. Robes were tossed haphazardly on chairs and draped across the door of the wardrobe.  
  
Despite the clutter, Remus Lupin could see exactly what had been added, and exactly what had been taken away.  
  
Sirius' wand, fifteen inches of chestnut wood, containing a single feather from a Pegasus, was gone. Remus had bought Sirius that wand himself, for the Christmas before this last one.  
  
In its place was a single, folded scrap of parchment, set neatly on top of a text on useful charms and spells.  
  
Remus stepped slowly towards it, even though he already knew, essentially, what it said.  
  
Their bed was unmade, and he imagined that he could probably still smell Sirius on the sheets. He didn't bend down to see, however; instead he sank down on the edge of the mattress and unfolded the paper. Sirius' slashing black script was scrawled across the page.  
  
Remus,  
  
I am sorry to do this--I know that you and Dumbledore wanted me to be  
safe. But I can't let this happen.  
  
I am going to the Ministry, to the Department of Mysteries.  
Voldemort's waiting for me there.  
  
Please take care of Harry for me. And take care of yourself.  
  
I love you.  
  
Sirius  
  
He folded the paper and placed it carefully in the top drawer of the table, before finally letting the tears fall.  
  
He would live, and he would protect Harry as best he could.  
  
Because Sirius had asked it of him. And because he had nothing else left.  
  
~fin 


End file.
